Terror Warning for the baltic

[trecker]

The International Herald Tribune reports the following:

 

On the eve of the American presidential election, the U.S. State Department has warned U.S. citizens in Nordic and Baltic countries of a potential imminent terrorist attack in the region.

 

In the Latvian capital, Riga, the U.S. Embassy issued a statement on its Web site advising Americans to avoid busy transport hubs and shopping centers on Monday and in the days after. A similar warning was issued in neighboring Estonia.

 

The U.S. Embassy in Finland published an advisory from the State Department, urging U.S. citizens in the Nordic and Baltic countries to "be vigilant as to their surroundings, especially in centers of ground-based mass transit."

 

The text, posted on the Web site over the weekend, disclosed no details of the threat. But it followed a warning by the Latvian security service Saturday that said it had received intelligence from Norway, Estonia and the United States that suggested a terrorist strike may be planned inside its borders.

 

In the final phase of an election campaign that has in large part centered around America's war on terrorism, the weekend warning intensified concerns that terrorists may increasingly try to sway the election by planning attacks shortly before voters go to the polls.

 

The Madrid train bombings in March killed more than 190 people three days before Spain had a national vote. On Friday, the Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, addressed the United States in a videotape, alluding to further Sept. 11-style attacks. None of the embassy warnings, however, mentioned a suspected link with Al Qaeda

 

The warnings also lend weight to worries that Europe, which is relatively less prepared for a large-scale terrorist attack than the United States, could become a chief target for militant Islamic groups like Al Qaeda

 

According to Jonathan Stevenson, a terrorism expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington, for the past year and a half Islamic groups like Al Qaeda have had their eye on Europe with its open borders, disparate security services and vulnerable train networks

 

"The harder it has become to target the U.S., the more attractive a target Europe has become," Stevenson said. "And the alignment of the Baltic countries with U.S. policy in Iraq and their presumptive vulnerability makes them particularly attractive targets

 

While a history of homegrown terrorism has made for an effective counterterrorism strategy in France and Britain, the smaller countries on Europe's northern fringe are potentially easier to hit, Stevenson said. And all three Baltic states - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - have been staunch supporters of the American-led invasion of Iraq last year. Together they have about 200 soldiers on the ground in Iraq

 

Finland, like Norway and Sweden, opposed the Iraq war. Among the Scandinavian countries, only Denmark has troops in Iraq.

 

In a sign that the perception of terrorist threats still differs on the two sides of the Atlantic, few concrete measures were taken to boost security in the region beyond reinforcing security around U.S. embassies.

 

At a meeting of Nordic heads of government in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, Prime Minister Goran Persson said there was no need to change security arrangements

 

"One is always worried when one gets this type of information, particularly when it comes from such a large security service," Persson told reporters. "But I don't think there is any reason to dramatize things unnecessarily

 

The Finnish Security Police said that Nordic citizens had no reason to worry at this stage

 

"The United States has a lower threshold when it comes to warning its citizens, but we have no concrete information that would warrant such a warning," Paavo Selin, head of the Finnish counterterrorism unit, told The Associated Press

 

 

While news agencies reported no visible signs of increased security in Riga, the country's national security council was due to meet late Monday to assess the threat

[jhannah]

The U.S. Embassy in Finland published an advisory from the State Department, urging U.S. citizens in the Nordic and Baltic countries to "be vigilant as to their surroundings, especially in centers of ground-based mass transit."

That's my traveling motto! However, I personally refuse to cower every time some militant individual or organization raises a clenched fist. If I do, then they've scored a victory. I will always be cautious and aware of my surroundings ... but I will not retreat. Of course, I would not travel where there was active fighting going on. That's real and not a "could be" situation.

 

While many of the security concerns have validity, I can't help but wonder how much these threats are extended just to "pull our chain" and watch us wiggle. Kruschev, one of the Soviet Union's former leaders, was quoted as saying of the U.S. "we will bury you." This was at the height of the cold war and he was trying to instill fear in American hearts. Well, he's long dead and Russia is no longer the power it once was.

[bepsf]

Jim--

 

Without getting political, I do believe that "someone" is yanking our chain with these recent 'terrorist threat' statements.

 

It doesn't take a terrorist to disrupt or ruin someone's vacation - wallets are stolen, luggage is broken into, overcharges for guided tours, meals and hotels are made every single day.

 

As proud as I am of my American citizenship, it's never smart to bring unnecessary attention to oneself as a foreign tourist while visiting another country. Using local currencies, dressing as the locals do, using key phrases of the local language and behaving respectfully, quietly and inconspicuously would help Americans blend into their foreign surroundings, help rid us of the "Ugly-American-Tourist" syndrome, and reduce our visibility as targets for thieves or terrorists.

[shipcafe]

I agree there BepSF. I do agree that legitimate travel concerns should be taken seriously and personal safety must be maintained. It is the constant "jump now" memos that go out that are simply aggravating. I will exercise due caution when something should present itself but, in the mean time, I will travel and cruise as I wish! :)

 

Speculation and undue urgency cannot rule our daily lives.

[Leslieswiger]

I absolutely agree with both Brian and Steve. QUIETLY and INCONSPICUOUSLY is the best way to travel. Remember also that

"courtesy IS contagious". Happy Sailings everyone..Leslie Swiger:)